Your spinal stenosis may force you to stop working before normal retirement age because you can't do certain things. Markedly severe residual weakness, pain or limitation of motion following implantation of prosthesis 70 Moderately severe residuals of weakness, pain or limitation of motion 50 Minimum rating 30 5055 Knee replacement (prosthesis). If your spinal stenosis was caused by another service-connected disability, you can apply for secondary service connection. If the VA determines your spinal stenosis is service-connected, you will receive a disability rating between 0% and 100%. Depending on how severe your symptoms are, you may be able to file for a permanent spinal stenosis disability. I was medically retired from active duty Army in January of 2016 with a rating of 80% for a variety of things. I have my transportation now. After recovery, the VA will re-evaluate their condition. Vertebral fractures and dislocations (diagnostic code 5235). Thank you so much Woods & Woods. They fought hard for me and got me more than I ever could dream of. Seattle, WA: 506 2nd Ave,Suite 1400,Seattle, WA 98104. Agent Orange exposure and VA disability compensation Its never too late to apply for VA benefits. However, the VA still rates degenerative arthritis of the spine under the criteria listed for diagnostic code 5003. VA Disability Rating for Spinal Stenosis Depends on Range of Motion Spinal stenosis can arise from both degenerative conditions (such as arthritis, bulging discs, and herniated discs) and physical injury, such as bone fragments, dislocated vertebrae, or swollen tissues. These types of lawyers have experience dealing with the laws and rules that govern the VA and may have ideas and suggestions for increasing or challenging your VA disability rating. Think of the first number as an identifying diagnostic code that tells you what joint is affected, while the second diagnostic code tells you the rating system the condition is being rated under. Spinal stenosis is a form of degenerative disc disease. Phoenix, AZ: One Renaissance Tower, Two North Center Avenue, 18th & 19th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85004 document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_4" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_5" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Were you stationed at Camp Lejeune before 1987? document.getElementById('copyright').appendChild(document.createTextNode(new Date().getFullYear())) PTSD Lawyers | Berry Law Firm. Questions for those familiar with spinal issues and ratings For example, if the spine is frozen tilted to one side or leaning forward, that would constitute an unfavorable position. Become an All-Access Member to access this page, other exclusive content, the ability to our Military Disability Experts, course discounts, and more! you have shown that there is was an incident in service and that you have a current disability, When the VA awards service-connection for a condition/disease, it has to determine how much to award for the condition/disease. For example, fractured and/or dislocated vertebrae can lead to pain and weakness in the arms, hips, shoulders, etc. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces within your spine, which can put pressure on the nerves that travel through the spine. Your spinal stenosis may be accompanied by other back conditions, including degenerative disc disease, arthritis, ankylosis or ankylosing spondylitis. Is spinal stenosis a disability? Explained by Sharing Culture